Is there a Winter Paralympics?
I am not as clued up on winter sports as I am on summer sports – I do not know who I am watching, nor do I really understand what the participants are doing. Therefore, I do not proclaim to be an expert. However, if I turn on the TV and the winter Olympics/Paralympics are showing I will, inevitably, be glued to my screen. There must be some unwritten rule that says all Olympians/Paralympians must support the games. Perhaps its empathy?
I have had several people ask me, recently, whether there is a winter Paralympics. The answer is, of course, yes.The people who have asked me feel they should know - some were sport buffs. Well, the winter Paralympics have an extremely short history and a rather small number of competitors – compared to the summer games - therefore they are less popular... some of you may be excused for not knowing. In addition, once informed that there is a winter games, people have been outraged at the supposed level of media coverage they will receive. The Paralympic movement has clearly concentrated on the summer games – we cannot immediately jump on the BBC (in the UK) before considering the facts. Lets start with a history.
The Swedish faction, at the International Sports Organisation for the Disabled AGM, first put the notion of a Winter Paralympic games forward in 1974. Just 18 months later, the first winter games took place with a very small number of competitors – all of whom were amputees or visually impaired. Over the first six Winter games different disabilities were include – with full inclusion by 1984. The Winter Paralympics stayed within Europe, not attending the Olympic host city venues, until 1992.
The number of countries and athletes in attendance at previous summer and winter Paralympics differs dramatically:
2002 Salt Lake City (winter) = 36 countries and 416 Athletes
2004 Athens (summer) = 135 countries and 3808 Athletes
2006 Torino (winter) = 38 countries and 474 Athletes
2008 Beijing (summer) = 146 countries and 3951 Athletes
Vancouver 2010 in a few weeks is expecting 45 countries and 600 Athletes, whilst London 2012 officials will be waiting to welcome 150 countries with 4200 athletes.
(Brittain, 2009, p.13)
As we can see, the winter Paralympic games are growing in size with every passing Olympiad. However, it is clear that their popularity is significantly less than the summer games. Therefore, it is unsurprising, with low attendance and it's short history that little is known about the games, it’s athletes and it’s standing in the sporting arena.
If we concentrate on the coverage of the upcoming games briefly – yes people think it is scandalous that it wont be shown on TV much, but is it. After Beijing the public were very please with what they saw of our games, but that was the most comprehensive coverage of a games yet, and will be improved on again during London. It has taken years and years of Summer athletes to get even ¼ of the recognition we deserve. Granted, what the BBC are offering is dismal:
“Graham Bell in Whistler and Mike Bushell in Vancouver will report daily on the latest from the Paralympics, and the best of the action will be shown on BBC Two on 22 March” (BBC, 19/01/2010).
However, I do not believe that winter Paralympic sport has built up as much momentum as summer Paralympic sport which is approximately 20 years its senior. And I’m pretty positive that it was the same situation in the Olympic camp too – Summer games (Modern) started in 1896 with the winter games trailing behind in 1924. (Vancouver2010, online).
It is all very well to complain that the BBC are rubbish with disability sport (I’d happily admit that I am the first to do so), but sport and the media are massive commodities and sport requires significant interest in order for the two to work together.
I find it very interesting that the majority of those who are annoyed at the upcoming games’ lack of coverage are those who asked me if there was a Winter Paralympic games at all!!
The Vancouver 2010 paralympic Games open on 12th March and conclude on 21st march. Sports will include:
Alpine skiing
Ice sledge hockey
Nordic skiing (biathlon and cross country)
Wheelchair curling
(Brittain, 2009, p.17)
I have had several people ask me, recently, whether there is a winter Paralympics. The answer is, of course, yes.The people who have asked me feel they should know - some were sport buffs. Well, the winter Paralympics have an extremely short history and a rather small number of competitors – compared to the summer games - therefore they are less popular... some of you may be excused for not knowing. In addition, once informed that there is a winter games, people have been outraged at the supposed level of media coverage they will receive. The Paralympic movement has clearly concentrated on the summer games – we cannot immediately jump on the BBC (in the UK) before considering the facts. Lets start with a history.
The Swedish faction, at the International Sports Organisation for the Disabled AGM, first put the notion of a Winter Paralympic games forward in 1974. Just 18 months later, the first winter games took place with a very small number of competitors – all of whom were amputees or visually impaired. Over the first six Winter games different disabilities were include – with full inclusion by 1984. The Winter Paralympics stayed within Europe, not attending the Olympic host city venues, until 1992.
The number of countries and athletes in attendance at previous summer and winter Paralympics differs dramatically:
2002 Salt Lake City (winter) = 36 countries and 416 Athletes
2004 Athens (summer) = 135 countries and 3808 Athletes
2006 Torino (winter) = 38 countries and 474 Athletes
2008 Beijing (summer) = 146 countries and 3951 Athletes
Vancouver 2010 in a few weeks is expecting 45 countries and 600 Athletes, whilst London 2012 officials will be waiting to welcome 150 countries with 4200 athletes.
(Brittain, 2009, p.13)
As we can see, the winter Paralympic games are growing in size with every passing Olympiad. However, it is clear that their popularity is significantly less than the summer games. Therefore, it is unsurprising, with low attendance and it's short history that little is known about the games, it’s athletes and it’s standing in the sporting arena.
If we concentrate on the coverage of the upcoming games briefly – yes people think it is scandalous that it wont be shown on TV much, but is it. After Beijing the public were very please with what they saw of our games, but that was the most comprehensive coverage of a games yet, and will be improved on again during London. It has taken years and years of Summer athletes to get even ¼ of the recognition we deserve. Granted, what the BBC are offering is dismal:
“Graham Bell in Whistler and Mike Bushell in Vancouver will report daily on the latest from the Paralympics, and the best of the action will be shown on BBC Two on 22 March” (BBC, 19/01/2010).
However, I do not believe that winter Paralympic sport has built up as much momentum as summer Paralympic sport which is approximately 20 years its senior. And I’m pretty positive that it was the same situation in the Olympic camp too – Summer games (Modern) started in 1896 with the winter games trailing behind in 1924. (Vancouver2010, online).
It is all very well to complain that the BBC are rubbish with disability sport (I’d happily admit that I am the first to do so), but sport and the media are massive commodities and sport requires significant interest in order for the two to work together.
I find it very interesting that the majority of those who are annoyed at the upcoming games’ lack of coverage are those who asked me if there was a Winter Paralympic games at all!!
The Vancouver 2010 paralympic Games open on 12th March and conclude on 21st march. Sports will include:
Alpine skiing
Ice sledge hockey
Nordic skiing (biathlon and cross country)
Wheelchair curling
(Brittain, 2009, p.17)
